Xiaoyue Ni

Research Interests

Flexible electronics, precision measurement, non-destructive testing, deformation physics of random media, mechanical metamaterials, robotic materials and smart structures, machine learning

Bio

The Ni group aims to realize human-oriented materials intelligence through the combination of soft electronics and digital metamaterials—the materials can sense human signals, transform and adapt their functional properties according to human actions or status. The technical approach embraces epidermal electronics for advanced sensing of body mechanics, and micro/nanomechanics for closed-loop programmable matter. Our research focuses on creating digital-physical interfaces for dynamic control over materials properties via a full spectrum of mechanical and acoustic processes.

Education

• Ph.D. California Institute of Technology, 2018

Positions

• Assistant Professor of the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
• Assistant Professor of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics
• Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Courses Taught

• ME 592: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
• ME 591: Research Independent Study in Mechanical Engineering or Material Science
• ME 543: Energy Flow and Wave Propagation in Elastic Solids
• ME 494: Engineering Undergraduate Fellows Projects
• ME 493: Engineering Undergraduate Fellows Projects
• ME 392: Undergraduate Projects in Mechanical Engineering
• ME 391: Undergraduate Projects in Mechanical Engineering
• ME 221L: Structure and Properties of Solids
• ECE 391: Projects in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• ECE 291: Projects in Electrical and Computer Engineering
• CEE 626: Energy Flow and Wave Propagation in Elastic Solids

Publications

• Kim J-T, Ouyang W, Hwang H, Jeong H, Kang S, Bose S, et al. Dynamics of plosive consonants via imaging, computations, and soft electronics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2022 Nov;119(46):e2214164119.
• Ni X, Luan H, Kim J-T, Rogge SI, Bai Y, Kwak JW, et al. Soft shape-programmable surfaces by fast electromagnetic actuation of liquid metal networks. Nature communications. 2022 Sep;13(1):5576.
• Bai Y, Wang H, Xue Y, Pan Y, Kim J-T, Ni X, et al. A dynamically reprogrammable surface with self-evolving shape morphing. Nature. 2022 Sep;609(7928):701u20138.
• Ding W, Alavi AH, Fioranelli F, Li G, Ni X, Song L. Sensing, processing, computing and networking for the era of wearables. Digital Signal Processing: A Review Journal. 2022 Jun 15;125.
• Ni X, Bai Y, Wang H, Xue Y, Pan Y, Kim J-T, et al. A dynamically reprogrammable metasurface with self-evolving shape morphing (Accepted). Nature. 2021 Dec 9;
• Wang Z, Li J, Jin Y, Wang J, Yang F, Li G, et al. Sensing beyond itself: Multi-functional use of ubiquitous signals towards wearable applications. Digital Signal Processing: A Review Journal. 2021 Sep 1;116.
• Wu C, Rwei AY, Lee JY, Ouyang W, Jacobson L, Shen H, et al. A Wireless Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Device for Flap Monitoring: Proof of Concept in a Porcine Musculocutaneous Flap Model. Journal of Reconstructive Microsurgery. 2021 Aug 17;
• Ni X, Ouyang W, Jeong H, Kim J-T, Tzaveils A, Mirzazadeh A, et al. Automated, multiparametric monitoring of respiratory biomarkers and vital signs in clinical and home settings for COVID-19 patients. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2021 May;118(19):e2026610118.
• Jeong H, Lee JY, Lee K, Kang YJ, Kim J-T, Avila R, et al. Differential cardiopulmonary monitoring system for artifact-canceled physiological tracking of athletes, workers, and COVID-19 patients. Science advances. 2021 May;7(20):eabg3092.
• Chun KS, Kang YJ, Lee JY, Nguyen M, Lee B, Lee R, et al. A skin-conformable wireless sensor to objectively quantify symptoms of pruritus. Science advances. 2021 Apr;7(18):eabf9405.
• Guo X, Ni X, Li J, Zhang H, Zhang F, Yu H, et al. Designing Mechanical Metamaterials with Kirigamiu2010Inspired, Hierarchical Constructions for Giant Positive and Negative Thermal Expansion. Advanced Materials. 2020 Dec 2;2004919u20132004919.
• Lee K, Ni X, Lee JY, Arafa H, Pe DJ, Xu S, et al. Mechano-acoustic sensing of physiological processes and body motions via a soft wireless device placed at the suprasternal notch. Nature biomedical engineering. 2020 Feb;4(2):148u201358.
• Prokhorov LG, Mitrofanov VP, Kamai B, Markowitz A, Ni X, Adhikari RX. Measurement of mechanical losses in the carbon nanotube black coating of silicon wafers. Classical and Quantum Gravity. 2020 Jan 9;37(1):015004u2013015004.
• Ni X, Guo X, Li J, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Rogers JA. 2D Mechanical Metamaterials with Widely Tunable Unusual Modes of Thermal Expansion. Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla). 2019 Nov;31(48):e1905405.
• Bai W, Shin J, Fu R, Kandela I, Lu D, Ni X, et al. Bioresorbable photonic devices for the spectroscopic characterization of physiological status and neural activity. Nature biomedical engineering. 2019 Aug;3(8):644u201354.
• Ni X, Zhang H, Liarte DB, McFaul LW, Dahmen KA, Sethna JP, et al. Yield Precursor Dislocation Avalanches in Small Crystals: The Irreversibility Transition. Physical review letters. 2019 Jul;123(3):035501.
• Sethna JP, Bierbaum MK, Dahmen KA, Goodrich CP, Greer JR, Hayden LX, et al. Deformation of Crystals: Connections with Statistical Physics. Annual Review of Materials Research. 2017 Jul 3;47(1):217u201346.
• Ni X, Papanikolaou S, Vajente G, Adhikari RX, Greer JR. Probing Microplasticity in Small-Scale FCC Crystals via Dynamic Mechanical Analysis. Physical Review Letters. 2017 Apr 14;118(15).
• Ni X, Greer JR, Bhattacharya K, James RD, Chen X. Exceptional Resilience of Small-Scale Au₃₀Cu₂₅Zn₄₅ under Cyclic Stress-Induced Phase Transformation. Nano letters. 2016 Dec;16(12):7621u20135.
• Vajente G, Quintero EA, Ni X, Arai K, Gustafson EK, Robertson NA, et al. An instrument to measure mechanical up-conversion phenomena in metals in the elastic regime. The Review of scientific instruments. 2016 Jun;87(6):065107.

In The News

• Materials Morph for Easier Health Monitoring (Mar 19, 2025 | Duke Today)
• Nursing, Pratt Collaborate to Tackle Health Challenges (Sep 30, 2024 | School of Nursing)
• Wearable Imaging Tool Would Make It Easier to Diagnose Neurological Issues (Jul 27, 2023 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Artificial Soft Surface Autonomously Mimics Shapes From Nature (Nov 1, 2022 | Pratt School of Engineering)
• Xiaoyue Ni: Designing Smart Materials and Wearable Technologies to Improve Health (Oct 13, 2020 | Pratt School of Engineering)